Record Number of Aquariums, Zoos, and Museums to Host Celebrations for World Oceans Day on June 8th

On June 8th communities around the globe will celebrate World Oceans Day as an opportunity to learn more about our ocean and take action to help conserve it. This year the celebration is bigger than ever with hundreds of family-friendly events at aquariums, zoos, museums, exciting online events, and strong prospects for a new youth movement to protect the ocean!

"A record number of aquariums, zoos, and museums are providing ways on World Oceans Day for their visitors to get inspired and take personal action to help our world’s ocean," said Bill Mott, director of The Ocean Project. World Oceans Day provides an opportunity for people across the country and around the world to celebrate our ocean connections, do more for ocean conservation, and learn more about our ocean!"

World Oceans Day coordinator, Alyssa Isakower, commented, “The worldwide response has been more enthusiastic than ever. June 8th provides a chance for the world to rally for a generation of ocean advocates who go beyond raising awareness and take real action for ocean protection.”

Under the theme, “Youth: the Next Wave for Change,” many events will focus on inspiring the younger generations. Public opinion research by The Ocean Project supports this emphasis, finding that youth and young adults:

Express more interest and concern about the health of the ocean, and the problems of pollution, overfishing and climate change

Look to aquariums, zoos, and science centers for ways they can be part of the solution

Have a higher belief in their own ability to make a difference

Are recognized by their parents as better informed on ocean and environmental issues

"While our ocean faces some very serious threats, ongoing market research from The Ocean Project and others shows clear opportunities for activating people for conservation," added Mott. "People do want to help so if informed about the problems and the solutions — ideally from aquariums, museums, zoos and other trusted informal science education centers — people are demonstrating a readiness to act to protect our world ocean.”

New and exciting happenings:

Hundreds of events planned: Already over 250 events are listed from dozens of countries, with several hundred more expected.

Live from the Galápagos! On June 8 at 3:30PM EST, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will connect direct from their research ship in the Galápagos with "Her Deepness", Dr. Sylvia Earle, in the Smithsonian Institute.

People taking action around the blue planet:

Youth in action in Arcata, CA: Friends of the Dunes celebrates their 8th straight WOD! 1,000 students will conduct a beach cleanup and invasive plant removal and then will create an aerial art design, with a plane capturing the image.

Making a difference in the Marshall Islands: Youth groups, government, and non-government agencies will participate in beach and underwater dive cleanups, and more hands-on activities.

The concept for a “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN as June 8th each year.

Since 2002, The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network have helped to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day events worldwide with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as an opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

Together, they also developed and widely circulated a petition to the United Nations urging them to officially recognize World Oceans Day. With help from their Partner organizations, tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world signed online or paper copies of the petition.

Designation of World Oceans Day provides an important boost to those organizations and individuals who have been deeply committed to ocean conservation. Official UN designation is another important step toward improving the health of our world’s ocean.